Author Archives: summergathercole
What Aren’t We Being Told?
The media doesn’t always get it right. Most of the time, I don’t believe that’s intentional. Reporting is shaped by constraints most readers never see – limited access, legal barriers, fearful sources, incomplete information. Sometimes the full story simply isn’t … Continue reading
Behind the Budget Lines Are Human Lives
In 2019 and 2020, I moderated hundreds of public testimonies from people across Colorado about their experiences with our behavioral health system. Not experts. Not lobbyists. People. A mother who lost her daughter to suicide.A father who had to enroll … Continue reading
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These Experiences Shattered My Assumptions
Until I left for college, my family had a December tradition: a day trip to New York City. We would visit the tree at Rockefeller Center, stop inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and marvel at the holiday windows at Macy’s. Those … Continue reading
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Tagged assumptions, change the narrative, community, compassion, homelessness, stigma
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How and Why Did the Vision for the BHA Change?
When the Behavioral Health Task Force established by Governor Polis recommended the creation of the Behavioral Health Administration, the original concept suggested that all programs and funding related to behavioral health in the Executive Branch would move under this new … Continue reading
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Tagged accoutability, behavioral health, behavioral health administration, behavioral health reform, BHA, colorado, community, data
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We Already Have the Answers to Strengthen Our Behavioral Health System
Over the past decade, there have been a multitude of committees, task forces, and work groups dedicated to improving Colorado’s behavioral health system. People have volunteered thousands of hours developing solutions, many of which are still relevant and cannot be … Continue reading
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Tagged behavioral health, behavioral health task force, BHA, BHASO, BHTF, blueprint, colorado, RAE, recommendations, solutions, system reform
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I Have So Much to Learn About AI
“Wait, I have a silly, newbie question: Are you talking about bots or people?!!” I had to ask this during a coffee meeting with Kevin Gilbert, an AI & Healthcare Solutions leader, last spring. He was describing how far AI … Continue reading
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I Like to Take the Path Less Traveled
Because I am so organized in my work life, my personal life is a bit messy. I’ve blogged about this before. I’m not a great planner. I rarely know the details of where I am going for a social outing. … Continue reading
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Let’s Do Better than Starbucks
I am, admittedly, a Starbucks junkie. It’s an expensive habit, so I’ve got a home set-up to minimize costs: a mini Nespresso machine for my Starbucks espresso pods, a milk frother, and the actual Mocha powder that is used by … Continue reading
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Who Was I Trying to Be?
I couldn’t believe I had made such a rookie mistake. Most of my adventures have involved hiking or backpacking or exploring the bush of sub-Saharan Africa. This latest trip in late June 2024 was to Europe: London, Berlin, Koln, and … Continue reading
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